Accumulated fatigue from the election campaign caught up with me last week when I returned to regular shifts. This, plus normal takings resulted in a lack of eagerness for meaningful passenger contact.

So it was a pleasant surprise on the weekend I was hailed in Newtown by a young woman holding an antique horn. I immediately requested she give it a blast and the startling noise woke me from my lethargy.

“It’s a gift for my sister,” she laughed. “It will be perfect for her school history project.”

She purchased the horn after a big win on the poker machines, also enabling her to indulge on a taxi rather than catching public transport to an afternoon party.

“What shall I do,” she mused, “put the money into rent or go shopping? I think I’ll buy some clothes.” This could easily have sounded superficial but there seemed to be a deeper quality at play...

Saturday night on Oxford Street builds slowly towards midnight when the strip starts jumping with the endless arrival of drunk and excited clubbers. They are invariably aged in their twenties which is why I first noticed an older woman amongst the pedestrian traffic.

What also caught my eye was she was struggling against the flow towards the cab as I waited at lights. Unusually for this place late at night were her two kids, one on the hip and a toddler being dragged by the hand...

Here's a follow-up chat with Greens supporter Chris from the inner city seat of Sydney. We discuss likely scenarios pertaining to the Greens holding the Senate balance of power from next July. Other passengers I’ve spoken to reflect the strong result for the Greens in Saturday’s poll when many Labor supporters switched across in protest...

As the broadband issue finally came to life this week most passengers were supportive of the Government's NBN proposal as compared to the Opposition's alternative solution. It seems to be a question of do we invest less only to spend more later, or spend up now for the best system...

Approaching the halfway point of the election campaign, the emerging feeling among passengers is annoyance and waning interest after being swamped by personalities, leaks, banality, leaks, denials and more leaks...